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Published: Thursday, 02 April 2015 13:22

SLOBS CASA: CRAFTSMANSHIP OF EXCELLENCE

Born in Milan, Slobs Casa is the first network of artisans-artists who represent the excellence of the new Italian craftsmanship.

In an astonishing courtyard of the XVIII Century (in Largo Richini 2, Milan), a unique and magic venue is created, where the most important Italian artisans gather up.

Their job is literally “doing with hands”, that is what they are passionate about, and each one, in their own way, is a little bit sculptor, a little bit painter, a little bit carpenter, a little bit blacksmith, always an artist.

Vera Montanari – legendary editor in chief of several women’s magazines, from Marie Claire to Grazia – and Barbara Vergnano – art gallerist, journalist, interior designer – have reunited all the artisans in a unique network to create beauty for our homes.

“Slobs Casa, Italian craftsmanship of excellence” (inauguration 4th March, opening 5th March) is a space, a collective show room, but especially a way to connect and foster the exchange of the masterpieces of 20 of the most important Italian artisans-artists. They are those who take inspiration from the most valuable and ancient tradition of our country, but revisit it with a contemporary eye. Because the new-made in Italy loves the past, feels the pride of our history, but has new ideas and above all, loves to experiment.

Slobs Casa wants to represent the meeting point between the world of the new craftsmanship and the world of those who plan and manage our living style, from architects to interior designers. But it also refers to people who, simply, love their own home and want to make it a little bit special.

The 20 makers of Slobs Casa are very well-known names of the craftsmanship world of excellence.

Costanza Algranti (which creates by recycling); Paola Berra (super expert of bijoux); Barbara Bertoldo (creative director of Opificio, who with her sister Paola creates and produces unique fabrics); Francesco Botter (decorator of Mongiardino’s school): Paolo Calcagni (and his chairs, hand made, in metallic tubular); Peppino Campanella (a real son of Puglia, inventor of mirrors and lamps that are bright sculptures); Francesco and Giuseppe Emblema (the “volcanic brothers” that forge lava); Franco Fasano (heir of the most ancient tradition of Grottaglie’s ceramic); Claudia Frignani and Mattia Frignani (artist-brothers, each one with their own collection and a different kind of creativity); Davide Grosso (of Glab, inventor of soft furniture, made of metal sheet); Stella Jean (internationally renowned fashion designer who, for the first time, wants to improve herself with a mini home collection); Catherine Laissu and Tiphaine Deshays (as Italian as you can get, despite their names, and creators of De Dimora’s carpets); Mirko Pancaldi (the architect-artisan curious about any kind of material); Daniele Papuli (the big artist of paper); Lorenzo Perrone (the famous sculpture of “LibriBianchi”); Daniela Poletti (of Vetrofuso, which plays with glass making it malleable); Eugenio Vazzano (a Sicilian cosmopolitan who defines himself as the man of the patches); Roberto Zuccaro (scenographer and poetic painter); Giovanna Zucconi (the lady of Serra&Fonseca’s perfumes).

Slobs Casa selects, organizes, promotes, provides and sells the production of these 20 Italian makers, which are the key players of the new type of craftsmanship: contemporary, classy, special, stylish.

Their products – whether they are furniture or fabrics, vases or plates, jewels or perfumes – are unique pieces, personalized and timeless. Because each of them has a story to tell, each of them expresses feelings and emotions. Like the story of the glass worked until it looks like ice. Or the classic lamp that meets a wax fabric and becomes super modern. Or the lava that under expert hands suddenly becomes lighter. Or like some rust, which maintained at the right level, not only does not damage the good, but gives to it an archaic look. As if time had marked it, as if it has already had another life.

That is the point, that is the difference: all the artisans-artists’ objects have a unique identity and they spread it, and they are conceived for those who are intolerant of anything that is standardized, for people who want to go beyond the “mass-production” and look for artistic objects, but for daily use.

Therefore Slobs Casa is luxury in the most classic meaning of the word: the luxury of made-to-measure products, designed and created by artisans-artists. The luxury of being different, out of catalogue, special. The luxury of “made in Italy".